Show me the Light
by Cheryblosom-chan
Summary: Yumi was nothing more than a common thief, who longed for excitment and adventure, then Ulrich stepped in... UxY Something tells me Prince William, son of King XANA, isn't going to like this...
1. Life's not Fair is it?

**Ulrich and Yumi belong together, I hope you enjoy this if you agree with me and read it.**

**Note: I decided to make Yumi and Ulrich the same age, please don't ask why it's a habit and nobody really complains, so just go with it.**

**Note: I know you're all going to be disappointed when I say this but…Odd, Jeremy, and Aelita are not included or mentioned in this story. Don't like that? Then find another story to read because I'm not in the mood to get yelled at.**

**~Morning, regular P.O.V.**

The sun had completely risen in the sky casting a bright glow over the forest beneath it. The birds woke the well-hidden animals with their early morning chirping. Within a small grove near the river was a young boy, no more than 17, who was just waking up. He yawned and smoothed out his outfit. The boy did his usual morning stretches and went to splash some water on his face. Once finished, he packed up his belongings, sheathed his katana, and set off…to where he did not know.

This boy's name was Ulrich He was handsome, no argument there, but somewhat stoic as well. His mouth pressed into a thin line, showing no real expression. His skin was ever-so-lightly tanned, which accented his slightly muscular form. His brown hair shimmered in the light. His eyes, black as the night sky and just as mysterious, were hard and piercing, yet tender to those he cared about most.

He was a samurai, and good one at that. He had been trained in secret by his sensei Karai who was, sad to say, recently deceased due to illness. This was an emotional blow to him, after all no one is closer to you than your master. To honor Karai, Ulrich carried the man's katana, as was Karai's last request that Ulrich have it. In fact, the boy hadn't felt this alone since his parents deserted him.

**~Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Lyoko.**

A girl screamed as she ran holding her bag tightly, so as not to drop it.

"Get back here," A man yelled as he chased after the young woman!

She rounded a corner into an alley and easily scaled the wall up into an open window and lost him.

"Filthy street crap; next time you steal from my stand, missy, I'll report you to King XANA himself! And you'll get what you deserve," She watched the man walk away, clearly muttering insults.

She panted heavily and looked into her bag. Inside were three apples, some bread, and a full water canteen.

"_It's not much, but it'll get me though the day…" _She thought as she ate the apple.

Poor girl, reduced to being a common thief. It was a shame really. After all, no one should have to live like this. You know, running from the law just to get your next meal. Well that's no way to live is it?

The girl finished her apple and went to look out the window of her hideout. She lived in an abandoned inn above a tavern; luckily nobody ever went up there. She had a very clear view of the gates to the city. Oh, how she dreamed of what lie beyond those gates. Adventure, beautiful scenery, excitement, she longed for it all. But she could never go out there, not alone at least, but no one trusted her. She was street smart and knew how to fight well, but her lack of a decent meal kept her confided here. This lack of food left her with little strength, but that never stopped her in fighting.

This girl's name was Yumi. She was a thief/orphan, having both of her parents be executed for treason against the king. This was the reason she was a thief, she had no money. Despite longing for adventure and excitement outside of this wretched prison of a city, Yumi wanted something else too…someone to love her. She had almost deduced it as an impossible task, being that she was a wanted thief and had to go out in disguise.

But one day she looked at herself in a mirror, and figured that she was at least attractive. With short black hair, shimmering onyx eyes, pale skin, and a naturally slender form, it was a mystery that she was still single! Now Yumi had many men glance her way multiple times, but all of them were easily recognized as the city perverts, therefore completely out of the question. Now if she was going to find a man, it had to be someone who looked at her eyes, and not her body.

Yumi sighed, _"I hate this kingdom; I truly do. And what's worse is that lousy, stuck-up Prince William will be king after XANA retires. Lyoko is going to get even worse after that. If only someone could help me…"_

**~With Ulrich.**

Ulrich walked into the gates of the city, keeping his calm and collected state of mind. The streets were bustling with people going about their daily lives, shopping at merchant stands, or just hanging out with friends. His well-trained eyes spotted a tavern up ahead, and he approached it.

**~Yumi.**

As she watched the street outside her window, she saw something very unreal. A young man was walking down the street carrying a sheathed katana at his waist. The fact of it was she'd never seen anyone who would willingly show a weapon in public; whether or not they would use it, but this was a special sign for her…it meant that he definitely wasn't from around here. She put her disguise, a hooded black cloak, over her already black clothes and scaled down the rope leading up to the window of her hideout to investigate. She watched him start to walk by, but he stopped in front of the alley.

"Do you want something?" He asked looking in her direction.

She stepped out in front of him, "I don't want trouble if that's what you're asking."

"Good enough for me, you look like you could use a drink."

Yumi smiled and the two went inside. They sat down at a table and ordered a couple of drinks.

"So, what's a traveler like you doing in a city like this?" Yumi asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"I've been traveling for as long as I can remember, ever since my parents deserted me when I was about eight. The more important question is why should I not be here?" The samurai answered.

"This is the city of Lyoko; it's run by King XANA. Have you ever heard of him?" She asked.

"Hm, I may have heard the name before, and the nasty rumors that go along with it. Speaking of names, what's yours?"

"Yumi Ishiyama, don't rat me out ok, people around here don't necessarily like me." Yumi answered her voice low so the few, possibly, drunken people wouldn't hear.

"It's alright, I wasn't exactly popular in my hometown either, Ulrich Stern I'm a samurai it's nice to meet you." Ulrich replied.

The girl smiled, "Looks like we have something in common then. Here's to you, may your life be far less complicated than mine." She raised her glass in a toast and he followed suit.

"So, I take it your dead broke and have to steal in order to feed yourself?"

Yumi blanked, "How did you do that?"

"A little hidden talent of mine, if you don't keep many personal secrets like I do, then there's a good chance that I can read you like a book. I'm sorry if it offended you, but the truth hurts sometimes, whether or not people want to admit it." Ulrich smirked.

"_Wow he's…different." _Yumi thought.

Then the door to the tavern slammed open to reveal two of the best bounty hunters in the city…

**~End of chapter.**

**I hope you liked it. I'll work on more chapters as soon as I can! By the way, I really hate cliffhangers! But I had to do that! Sorry!**

**Yumi (yeah I changed my nickname, is there a problem with that? No? Good) **


	2. Bounty Hunters and Assassins

**Chapter two, again sorry about the cliffhanger.**

**~The tavern.**

The two bounty hunters scanned the room before walking up to the bar.

The first man was muscular and tall. He had dark brown hair and cold grey eyes. He wore a brown shirt with black pants. On his back, he carried a lethal looking guillotine sword.

The second man wasn't as muscular and was shorter. He had red hair and hazel eyes. He wore a grey shirt with brown pants. This was man was carrying a crossbow, obviously specializing in long range attacks.

The bartender recognized the two, "Sazanami, Hitachi, what brings you two down here?"

The tall man spoke, "Hitachi and I are on another mission from King XANA, this one's for the prince. As you know, he'll be king soon, and he's of age, but he can't be king without a bride. So we've been sent to locate a specific person for him. If you find any whereabouts of this woman here, inform us immediately."

Hitachi handed the middle aged man a wanted poster, "That's the girl, with any luck she'll still be in town."

"My daughter and I will be keeping watch. In the meantime, how about one on the house boys?

"Sure, we could use some sake." Sazanami said, and the two sat at the bar.

Ulrich and Yumi overheard everything, and the bartender put up the wanted poster near the glass cabinet. The girl looked just like Yumi! This didn't go unnoticed by Ulrich.

"We should go, before they get suspicious, do you have a place to hide out?" He asked, leaving a few coins on the table.

"Yeah, follow me." Yumi answered.

They stood and walked out the door. She led him into the alley and checked to make sure nobody was watching. Once it was clear, she climbed the rope and jumped into the window. She looked back to see that Ulrich was still on the ground.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of heights?" She asked.

Ulrich gave a nervous glance at the rope and reluctantly climbed up into the window as well.

He glanced around the room, "I take it this is your home?"

"Well, yes and no, for now it is. I change hideouts every week. You know, so I can avoid guys like them."

"Why do they want you anyway? I mean aren't there plenty of other suitable women in this city?"

"Apparently, Prince William wants to marry me. If he thinks sending bounty men out to find me is going to get me to say yes, then he might as well fire them now, and move on."

Ulrich smirked, "That's the spirit, so you're probably going to have to leave this place earlier than usual, now that those men are after you. I wouldn't worry too much about them though; they seem to have no way of tracking you at all. Therefore, just finding you would take time."

Yumi smiled, "So I guess you'll be leaving town soon right?"

"I'm just here to pick up some supplies and food, and then I'll be on my way. I now see what you meant by this city not being too friendly. Well, I have to do some shopping and when I get back, I'll walk with you to the gate to make sure you're not caught. How does that sound?" Ulrich asked.

Yumi nodded and he disappeared out the window. Once he was gone, she began packing up her bag; thankfully it was larger than needed.

"_Hm, he's seems nice. He's sort of the help-a-total-stranger-no-matter-what type of guy. That will either get you very far in life, or get you killed; it depends on the situation." _She thought.

After a while, Ulrich came back and Yumi was all packed. They made it to the gates and walked out into the forest…without knowing they were being watched.

**~Someone.**

"So that samurai thinks he can take my girl…well he has another thing coming. Men take care of him and bring the pretty girl to me." The Prince waved his hand allowing the assassins to follow them.

**~With the two.**

They stopped at an intersection in the path and Ulrich spoke, "This is where we part ways. I can't protect you forever and surely you can look after yourself now that you're out of the city. Besides it's not the best idea to travel with me. I hope you have a nice life."

He bowed, turned, and went down the left path, towards Tsuna Bridge. Yumi couldn't help but feel disappointed at his sudden departure. He was the first person to ever be nice to her for no reason. And that was really saying something! Nonetheless, she went down the other path, which leads to the silver river.

**~In the trees.**

Hitachi watched the whole scene and, once Yumi had gone far enough up the trail, he used bird calls to signal the team of assassins to go after Ulrich. There was about ten men altogether as they set out down the path after the samurai, and the two bounty men set off after the young woman.

Yumi kept walking, making sure to check her surroundings every now and then to put her nerves at ease. To be honest, Yumi had been alone for most of her life so it wasn't a foreign concept to her. But the thickness of the forest made her feel tense as if she were being watched. After all, she was a city girl.

On the other hand, Ulrich was faced with a similar problem. Then realization hit him once he got to Tsuna Bridge. He was being followed. Ulrich rested his hand on his katana and walked slowly across the bridge, his keen eyes watching for any sign of movement. When he looked back ahead he saw five men blocking the edge of the bridge, he turned and saw five others behind him, and all of them were carrying some type of weapon. This might not end well. Ulrich took in a deep breath and unsheathed his sensei's weapon, Karai's words echoing in his mind.

'_Think of the blade as an extension of your arm, and then use it to defend against your enemies, but never kill them.' _

Two people charged at him from behind, but he easily evaded them, causing the two to fall into the canyon bellow. A third man tried an attack from the front, using a rapier, but Ulrich brought his blade up to knock the other out of his hand, and then easily knocked the man aside with a swift kick. The three behind him also charged, but he evaded and knocked them aside as well. The last two met the same fate as their companions.

Without knowing what he might be getting himself into, Ulrich super sprinted back to the intersection and down the other path to find an unconscious Yumi and the two bounty men ready to take her in.

"Come on, Prince William wants her back by the end of the day. Let's go already!" Sazanami said, putting the girl over his shoulder.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, triplicate!" In an instant Ulrich and his two clones attacked Sazanami and freed Yumi.

The real Ulrich set her down by a tree and went back in to fight.

"Triangulate!"

Suddenly, Hitachi was trapped within the triangle, holding up his crossbow, ready to hit one of them but Sazanami beat him to it. The dark haired man sliced through the clones with one swipe of his guillotine sword, but the real Ulrich dodged the giant blade and jump-kicked him in the stomach. Hitachi fired an arrow at Ulrich who rolled out of the way and knocked the shorter man unconscious with a punch to the throat.

Ulrich turned, picked Yumi up bridal style, and super sprinted as far away as possible. It was nearly sundown by the time he stopped. He sighed in relief, knowing that enough distance was put behind them. He set the girl down and put up the tent he had bought. Ulrich cut some firewood from a tree and kindled the flames as they rose to life. He reached into his pack and pulled out some, also purchased, fish. He set it in a way to cook rotisserie style. Once that was done, he heard a small sound coming from the other side of the fire. He looked up to see Yumi smiling at him sweetly.

"You saved my life."

The comment made Ulrich have to fight down a blush, and he replied, "Looks like we're stuck together now, huh?"

**~End of chapter.**

**Whew, two chapters in one day! Wow, I'm good at this one! Chapter three will be here soon, bye!**

**Yumi **


	3. Promise me

**Here's chapter three.**

**~That night.**

It was a clear, starry night and the full moon cast it's shadow of light over the land; illuminating the dark. Ulrich was sitting on a log, in a meditation position with his eyes closed and hands folded neatly in his lap, listening for danger. Yumi, however, was inside the tent trying to sleep but couldn't. She sat up and walked out of the tent. She saw Ulrich and smiled.

"Hey, sorry if I'm interrupting or anything, but I just wanted to say thanks for saving me." Yumi said.

The boy opened his eyes at her words and turned to her, "You're welcome, but shouldn't you get some rest? We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow, if we're going to keep ahead of our enemies."

"I can't sleep, I'm a half-insomniac, I could go for a week without sleep and it wouldn't affect me at all. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, go ahead."

She sat down next to him, "So how did you know I was in trouble?"

"I was attacked by a group of assassins. I figured that the Prince must've hired them to work with those other two, but I took care of them. Then, I came to the conclusion that you needed help. You're lucky I found you just in time."

Yumi laughed nervously, "Yeah they took me by surprise. Hitachi had shot a blunt arrow at my temple and sure enough that'd knock anybody out. I guess I should've been more careful."

She glanced at his sword and asked, "Ulrich, where did you learn to fight like that?"

Her question took him aback, and for a moment he didn't answer, until he finally replied, "I had a great teacher, there's nothing more to that. What a strange question, why do you ask?"

"Well…could you teach me?"

"What? You want me to teach you martial arts?"

"Come on please! I know common street-fighting, but if I knew real martial arts, then I could defend myself better. Please, since we're running away like this, I figured why not try it?"

Ulrich looked at her pleading eyes and, for some foreign reason, he found it impossible to resist.

He sighed, "Ok we'll start tomorrow after we move all right?"

"It's a deal, and thank you," Yumi made a move as if to stand, but stopped and gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek, "Good night, my friend."

She stood and walked towards the tent, but before she went inside, Ulrich spoke, "I've been called many names, some good and some not-so-good, but I've never been called friend. Good night, Yumi."

The girl smiled and disappeared inside the tent. Ulrich gingerly touched the spot she had kissed and smiled a little, but suddenly became confused. A strange feeling had come to him, one he had never experienced nor seen in someone else. This foreign emotion was growing inside his well-protected heart.

Ever since Karai's death, Ulrich didn't want to get too close to anyone. He put up thick, stone barriers around his heart, so as to ignore the pain he felt inside. Now, he would help people and be courteous to those less fortunate, but he never befriended them.

As for this particular situation…what was this? Why did he feel so warm all of a sudden? Why did his heart rate just increase? More importantly, why did he have these sensations in the first place? This strange concept was something he simply could not grasp.

"_Ok, I guess only time will tell what this is. For now, I might as well get some sleep, everything seems quiet enough." _Ulrich thought as he curled up on the ground.

**~Meanwhile, back in Lyoko.**

Sazanami and Hitachi went into the Palace doors and walked to the king's throne room. They went inside and approached King XANA.

XANA was a middle aged man with black-now graying-hair and heartless red eyes. His expression never changed, he was stone-faced, and even his eyes showed no emotion. The silk of his royal, red robes glistened in the candle-lit room. His crown, made of pure gold and encrusted with rubies, was a true sign of authority, and to wear it was the highest honor.

In the seat next to him was his son, William. William was a mirror image of his father. He too had black hair but his eyes were brown. His robes were mahogany colored and his prince crown was made of silver. His eyes showed nothing but hunger for power. The boy also had a temper to match such feelings.

The bounty men bowed in respect, and Hitachi cleared his throat, "Ahem, we've returned with news, your highness."

"And what news do you have?" XANA asked his tone low and frightening.

"We found the girl…" Sazanami started, but William cut him off.

"Well, where is she?" The prince demanded.

"It was that samurai! He took us down without even breaking a sweat!" Hitachi finished, "Then they just up and vanished while we were unconscious."

Uh oh, Prince William didn't like this one bit, he stood, "You incompetent fools! How could you let him beat you? It's obvious, I'm going to need someone who can track down _and_ dispose of that abomination."

"William silence yourself." XANA commanded, and his son sat back down.

Sazanami quickly spoke, "Wait sir! Please give us one more chance! We've never let you down before and we're certainly not going to let you down now. We _can_ find them and we _will_ even if it kills us."

Hitachi nodded, "That's right, your majesty, we swear on our lives."

Before William could answer, XANA spoke, "Very well, _one_ more chance and if you fail I'll have your heads. Do we have a deal?"

The two glanced at each other and nodded.

"I'll pay you double your usual salary but only if you get that girl so my son can take my place. Here are enough gold pieces to get any supplies you need. Take it and get out of my sight." XANA snapped his fingers and a servant handed Sazanami a box full of money.

The two bowed and left the room. Once outside of the palace, they purchased some horses and set out down the trail…

**~End of chapter.**

**I'm not sure if this story is very popular, probably not considering that not all the shows characters are in it. Then again, fanfiction won't let me check my story stats so that doesn't really matter right now. Anyway chapter four will be here soon. Again, I don't like doing cliffhangers because they annoy me!**

**Yumi**


	4. Concern

**Well, here's chapter four, sorry for the waiting. I really want to try to get a chapter done at least every night! It's my New Year's Resolution: update my stories faster. Except for anything on hold, so that doesn't count. Anyway I'm going to shut up now!**

**~The next day.**

Ulrich and Yumi had packed up their camp, making sure not to leave any evidence, and continued up the trail.

"Ulrich, where exactly are we going? I mean we're being hunted, so we can't just run around the forest forever. There has to be someplace safe to go. Like another town or something along those lines." Yumi said.

"Look, I'm not saying you're wrong, but well…" He started.

"But what, there is a place we can go right? Or are you just trying to hide something?"

He glanced at her, then back at their map, "Yeah, there is one place we could try, but it's risky; not to mention it's almost a three month trip on foot."

"Ok, I'm listening." Yumi said.

"Another kingdom, the city of Kadic to be exact, but like I said it's a really long trip. Would you be willing to accept that challenge? The terrain to get there is pretty rough."

Yumi smirked, "I honestly don't care what happens, and it'll be worth getting the chance to start a new life."

He agreed and they continued walking. It was mid-afternoon by the time they reached their new campsite for the night; Hokani falls, which was the largest waterfall in the land. They set up camp.

Ulrich turned to Yumi, "Alright, I promised I'd teach you to fight the way I was taught. Now is the best time to begin. Come over here."

He untied his katana from his waist and put it in the tent, and then the two walked over to the riverbank. He showed her the stances and the basics.

"Ok, you with me so far?"

"Yeah, I'm a fast learner anyway."

"Is that so? Well, we'll see about that. Let's spar."

"You're on!"

They bowed to each other. He came at her, ready to punch, but she dodged and tried to hit him instead. Unfortunately, she missed. He tried to kick her, but she evaded and knocked him off his feet, ending this by kicking him square in the jaw ultimately causing him to fall into the river.

Yumi had to hold back her laughter at the scene, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that! Are you ok? You're not hurt too badly right?"

Ulrich sat up rubbing his jaw, "Ow, what were you thinking?"

"I didn't do that on purpose! I'm being completely honest, I swear! And no offense, but you're soaking wet…" Her words dissolved into a fit of laughter.

He scowled at her for mocking him; she noticed this and held out her hand, "Here, I said I was sorry what more do you want?"

He took her hand and smirked ever-so-slightly, he pulled her down into the shallow water with him. She too sat up, soaked from head to toe like him. And for the first time in a long time, he laughed.

"There we're even, come on I'll start dinner, and we'll move on with the lessons tomorrow."

Ulrich helped her up and they dried off. After a while, he finished cooking their food and they ate in comfortable silence, until Yumi spoke.

"You know you didn't have to pull me into the river…"

He smiled, "You kicked me first; so I got my revenge. There's nothing more to it."

She blinked at him and stared.

"What?" Ulrich asked.

"You know, that's the first time I've seen you smile, a real smile."

He looked away from her, "I don't really have a lot of reasons to smile actually."

Yumi gave him concerned look and her mind began to wonder.

"_It must be something that happened in the past. He does always look like he's upset about something. He also travels alone so that might be the real problem…he also said nobody ever referred to him as a friend." _She thought.

**~End of chapter.**

_**I am sorry!**_** I hate having to shorten my chapters! But I had to get this done! I update this weekend. Bye.**

**Yumi **


	5. Yumi's Diary and Ulrich's Fears

**Chapter five is here, enjoy.**

**~A week later.**

_Dear diary,_

_Ulrich and I have been traveling for a whole week now, and so far things are going well. We haven't seen any signs of those two that are hunting us; which is obviously a good thing. I think we might've lost them for good. If so, then it's going to be a smooth trip to Kadic._

_Living with Ulrich is better than I thought it would be. I mean sure he doesn't talk much, and he's a little moody, but we're actually becoming friends in a way. I like having him around. I'm learning an awful lot from him, and we train everyday if we have time._

_Although, I can't help but wonder, why is he so secretive? I know a man's past is his business, but that doesn't mean you have to hide everything, right? Oh well, maybe he'll tell me what his problem is if I ask. Then again, he might not…but it's worth a try! Ok I'll ask tonight after training._

_Now you're probably asking why I'm talking about him so much. I'm asking myself the same question everyday! I don't really know why. You want to know what I have noticed. He's starting to smile more and more now that I'm around. He has a cute smile…wait what am I thinking? Oh god, I think I have a crush on him! Wonderful, that's just what I needed! Ok right now you're probably thinking 'huh?' Well, as you know, I really want to find someone to love me for me, but obviously I'm never finding that in Lyoko. _

_Ulrich…he is a really sweet guy and handsome too. I won't take to many chances here, but I hope that on our way to Kadic, he'll come to feel the same way about me. I guess that's all for now, walking and writing can be quite a drag, I'll write again tomorrow._

_-Yumi_

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I watched Yumi, out of the corner of my eye, as she wrote in her diary. There it is again! That feeling my stomach! I hate it; it drives me crazy! Every time I look at her now, I get this weird, tickly feeling in my stomach and I can't make it go away. It's so annoying. To take my mind off of this, I focused on the map. I traced over the path we were following and stopped. This isn't good.

Yumi noticed my action, "Ulrich, what's wrong?"

"Well, this is just great! I forgot that the only way to get to Kadic is through Kikyo Mountain." I replied.

She looked at the map, "Ok, that seems fair enough. Is there a way through?"

I looked at the mountain that stood out on the path. It would still be another day before we reached it, but that's not what I was worried about…

"Yeah, but there's three problems with it. One: mountain terrain is very difficult to get through. Two: the only way is to take Kikyo Pass. And three: that Pass is known for being bandit territory. Do you see what I mean?" I asked.

"What do we have that they could want; besides money?" Yumi asked.

"It's not just stealing people's belongings, the bandits in Kikyo Pass are very territorial, and they don't like letting people through without a fight. Does that answer your question?"

She replied with a small 'oh.'

"Come on, there's no other way, I guess we'll just have to take the risk and fight our way out if we have to."

**~End of Chapter.**

**I really hate shortening my chapters but sometimes I have to. Review please! Chapter six will be here sometime this week! Bye!**

**Yumi**


	6. Visions

**Here's chapter six, enjoy.**

_Italic is for dialogue in the visions._

**~The next day; Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I woke up early to find that Yumi was still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb her, I sat by the fire pit to meditate. As I was starting to get deep into focus, the strangest thing happened. A bright light engulfed me…the next thing I knew, I was standing on a grassy hill, and a voice was speaking to me.

"_Ulrich, it's been a long time hasn't it?" _The voice said.

"_Who is this?" _I asked, nervously.

"_It is I, Karai, by using your meditation you've developed the ability to contact me. This is a good thing. Now face me, so I may see you, turn around."_

I did as told and saw him, my master. He was in a spiritual form and he looked just the same as he did when I last saw him in person. He had the same brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing his samurai outfit with pride and honor.

"_S-Sensei…is that really you?"_

"_Not in reality, but in your vision. It's good to see you, my student."_

I bowed and hugged him, _"It's good to see you too master. I've missed you, so much."_

He hugged me back, _"I've missed you too Ulrich. And I'm here to speak to you about something very important. That is, if you're still willing to listen."_

"_I would never disobey you, Sensei. What is it that you want to tell me?" _I asked, releasing him.

He smiled, _"I see that you have been travelling with a young lady by the name of Yumi, and you're helping her by taking her to Kadic. I have nothing against this, but I must warn you. Prince William, the boy who wishes to marry her, is getting desperate. The two men that you are running from are in fact following you as we speak. I must ask you to take caution in where you go, and, if necessary, in the people you chose to trust. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes sensei," _Once again I became confused, _"I need to ask you something too. It's about Yumi. You see, ever since we started travelling together…I've been having strange feelings around her. I was hoping that you could explain."_

Karai smiled once again, _"It's a natural feeling that all humans go through at some point. I experienced the same thing before my wife passed on. What you have is something called 'love.' There are more definitions than you could imagine for the word but this one is special. It's the one that means the love between a man and a woman. The real reason you saved her from Sazanami and Hitachi in the first place was that you were acting on your heart's desire. You were acting on love."_

"_But sir, I'm not sure I understand. How could I 'love' Yumi if I barely know her? I mean I saved her from being taken by bounty hunters, ultimately saving her from an unhealthy marriage. That doesn't prove anything." _I replied.

My master sighed heavily, _"You know this concept was something I was going to teach you before my death, it would be wise to listen and take into consideration this information. You saved her from two men who would certainly harm her if they needed to. When a man loves a woman truly and deeply, he'll do crazy things to protect her. Those two wanted to take her to a man who wouldn't respect her as a human being. This is another thing out of your heart's own accord. Sure you never truly love someone until you've spent more time with them, but sometimes in rare cases, you just know that they're the one for you. I felt the same way about Minerva when I first met her. I took one look at her face and knew she was right for me. You're having the same experience with Yumi. Do you now understand this concept?"_

I paused and thought it over a couple times. It made sense, and it was logical, _"Sensei, if I do love Yumi, how do I even know if she loves me back?"_

"_When the time comes to confront her about the subject, you'll know, but until then you have to show her that you care. You're doing a good job of it now, you worry over her well-being and you're teaching her defensive combat so she can be stronger. You treat her with kindness and respect. If you got to know her more, you'd feel a stronger love, and so would she. There's no easier way to explain it than that." _My master explained.

"_Then I'd have to tell her when the time is right?"_

He nodded, _"But remember this Ulrich, when love is real: it finds a way. I have to leave you now, if you are ever lost, you may speak to me at any time."_

With that the vision ended and I was back in reality. The sun was almost completely up now, and Yumi had just woken up.

"Good morning." She said, while doing some stretches.

"Good morning. I have something I need to let you know." I said.

"Really what is it?"

"We're being followed, by those men and probably more. They've been following our trail since the day I rescued you. I don't know how they found it, but we have to get a move on if we're going to keep ahead. Let's get packed up so we can leave."

She nodded and we packed up camp. After about an hour of walking, we finally reached it…Kikyo Mountain.

**~End of chapter.**

**Well, that's chapter six! Review please! Chapter seven will be here soon. Bye!**

**Yumi**


	7. The Bandits of Kikyo Pass

**Chapter seven is up, enjoy!**

**~The forest.**

"Sazanami, are you sure about this?" Hitachi asked, holding up the messenger hawk.

"It's where they're heading isn't it? Why are you complaining anyway? You were the one who said that his highness could kill us if we didn't get the job done! Now let me put the letter in the holder." His companion said.

He put the letter in the desired place and they set the hawk free to deliver it…

**~With the friends.**

Ulrich and Yumi walked up the path into Kikyo Pass, taking caution with every step. This was it; they had finally reached Kikyo Mountain, after crossing this they wouldn't have to worry the rest of the way to Kadic. Ulrich keep his senses on alert, not letting his guard down for even one second. Bandits in this mountain were tricky and could be hiding anywhere. Unfortunately for them, the young samurai knew how to listen for danger.

"_I don't like this. It's quiet, way too quiet." _Yumi thought, as she too checked their surroundings.

The shadow of a hawk flew over them, which wasn't overlooked. Ulrich looked at the bird clearly…it was a messenger.

He turned to Yumi and whispered, "Do the people of Lyoko use messenger hawks to communicate?"

"Yeah, but why?" She answered.

"One just flew over us and started to land somewhere. That message might be from the hunters, if I'm right, then they're seeking help from the bandits. Obviously to get to us, don't let your guard down no matter what."

Yumi nodded and they continued on.

**~In a cave.**

The hawk landed on a rock and a man looked over the letter, "Hm, our old business associates from Lyoko, eh?"

Another man walked up to him, "Leader, someone's crossing the path. Two teenagers, a boy and his girlfriend, what do you want us to do?"

The leader looked over the wanted posters that were included with the letter, "We can take them down, Sazanami and Hitachi promise to pay us in gold, but the girl must be unharmed. Gather the rest of the team and, the instructions say, kill the samurai."

The man bowed and the team set out. Meanwhile, Ulrich and Yumi had just walked past that cave, as the hawk flew out.

"Yumi…I think they know we're here." Ulrich said, starting to unsheathe his blade.

"Are you sure?" His female companion answered, glancing around.

Suddenly, a group of men jumped out and the fight began.

"_Hm, this is an excellent time to test my knowledge." _Yumi thought as most of the men started to attack Ulrich.

A couple lunged at him from behind, but Ulrich super sprinted out of the way, "Triplicate!"

Yumi held off some others while Ulrich fought the rest. Then a burly man started a one-on-one fight with Ulrich, by cutting his side with a crescent moon sword. The boy fell to ground, blood starting to seep out of the wound.

"Ulrich!" Yumi pulled a blade fan out of pocket at threw it at the leader.

The fan sliced through the skin of the man's arm and left a large gaping wound. The fan flew back to its owner like a boomerang and she caught it. One of the others got angry and tried to attack Yumi.

"_Stop, I told you she can't be harmed, no matter what happens!_" The bandit leader screamed.

This gave Ulrich a crazy idea. It took all of his strength to get up and ignore his wounds as he sprinted over to the girl…and held his katana to her neck.

"Ulrich what are you doing?" Yumi whispered.

"Saving your life, now play along." He answered.

The leader analyzed the situation and laughed, "You don't have the guts, kid. Now let the girl go, we won't hurt her, we promise."

Ulrich breathed heavily from the pain, "What makes you think I won't do it?"

His face held a deathly serious expression as he tried to make the situation convincing. Yumi didn't have to act like she was scared; after all there was a katana too close to her for comfort. The leader met his gaze with dark eyes and gave in.

"Let them go…"

"Sir, what are you saying?"

"_I said let them pass!_"

Ulrich took Yumi and they started to back away. The bandits turned and headed back for their cave. Once the two were out of sight and earshot, he let go of her.

"Nice going with that plan, but you didn't have to scare me like that." Yumi said.

Ulrich didn't reply, he was losing too much blood, and within the next few seconds he passed out. She caught him.

"Oh no, come on we have to find someplace to rest." She walked with him and looked around.

Suddenly, the loud _bang _of thunder erupted from the sky. The girl looked up to see storm clouds that would surely burst in mere minutes. She quickened her pace while keeping Ulrich supported, and finally spotted another cave just as it started to pour down rain. Yumi set her friend down and looked over the wound, it was pretty deep. She reached into Ulrich's bag, pulled out some medical supplies, and began cleaning and covering the boy's wounds.

"_There that's done, you're going to be ok now, Ulrich. You're safe, but I hope you wake up soon." _She down next to him and watched the raging storm outside.

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I couldn't see anything but darkness. I could very faintly hear the sounds of rain and thunder though. Then, I summoned Karai to speak with him.

"_Ulrich, you have been injured severely, luckily Yumi cleaned your wounds. I'm happy to see that you're alive, now what seems to be the problem?" _My sensei asked his words full of relief.

"_Sazanami and Hitachi told those bandits to attack us and they were intent on killing me. Should I be…afraid, of what those two might do to accomplish this?" _I answered.

_My student, I thought I'd taught you better than this! To protect someone precious, you must let go of fear! Just a few moments ago, you didn't let fear stop you when they were about to take Yumi! You knew that she couldn't be harmed so you devised a clever plan to get out of there with your lives. You shouldn't be afraid when you want someone else to live, because if you let fear take over, you'll lose Yumi and possibly forever. You don't want that now do you?"_

"_No sir, I want to stay and protect her. With my life if I have to, I'll do whatever it takes. But I won't deny that I am afraid. I'm afraid of what might happen to her when I'm not around, the day that she's alone." _I said, dreading the mere thought of it.

Karai smiled, _"As long as you grow closer, that day will never come. She wishes for you to wake up now, meaning I must go. Good bye Ulrich."_

The vision ended and my eyes started to open. At first everything was blurry, and then it started to come into focus. I saw that I was lying under a blanket near a fire and that a huge thunderstorm was rampaging outside of the cave. Yumi sat at the cave's entrance watching for danger. I looked down and saw that my top had been removed and most of my upper body was covered in bandages. Wow, I must've taken more damage than I thought.

"Yumi?" I said gaining her attention.

She turned and rushed over to me, "Thank goodness you're awake! You've been out cold for almost four hours; I was starting to assume the worst!"

"Have I really been out that long?"

"Yeah, cause the storm's been going on since we got in this cave. You passed out from blood loss and it was going to start raining so I brought you here, and after I did the rain turned into, well that." Yumi gestured to the weather.

"Thanks for taking care of me." I said, before she could continue.

She blushed a little, "Well, I couldn't let you die now could I? Certainly not after everything you're doing you're doing for me. Now I hope you don't mind, but this might be a good time to change your gauze, I need you to try to sit up."

I slowly sat up and she sat down behind and started to work. As she unwrapped the gauze, I couldn't help but notice how close she was to me. My heart started racing out of my chest, and that tickly feeling came back. Suddenly, her hand made contact with my skin, and I jumped as a wave of electricity sped through me at her touch.

"Sorry, I know my hands probably cold." Yumi apologized.

I didn't say it, but that's not the case. Her hands were actually very warm, and I smiled slightly at the thought of holding her hand. Soon she finished changing the bandages.

"Well, that's done," She looked outside, "It's getting dark and the storm's probably going to be gone by tomorrow, for now I guess we should get some sleep. Can you lie down?"

"Yeah, but first I want to ask you something." I said.

Yumi pulled another blanket around herself and laid down next to me, "What is it?"

"Um, when I got this gash you threw some thing at that guy, what was that? I didn't see it."

"Oh, you mean this?" She pulled out a blade fan, "I have two, and they're my weapons. They used to belong to my mother but she left them for me. I don't use them all that often, because I'm afraid of losing them. They're the last connection I have to her."

"But fans like that are made to return to their owner, right?"

"Yeah but someone could easily take it."

I blinked, "Wait, that's the last connection you have to your mom? What happened?"

A look of sadness took her eyes and she turned her gaze away from me, "When I was eight my parents were approached by King XANA and Prince William. The king said that someday I would marry the prince, but mom and dad refused that forced decision. King XANA took it as treason and had them…executed…but I managed to escape just in time."

Poor Yumi looked like she was about to cry, I couldn't let that happen. So, without knowing it, my body moved on its own, and I hugged her. She turned back to me, her watery eyes meeting my concerned ones, and she relaxed in my arms. Eventually we both fell asleep.

"_Yumi, I'll protect you with my life…"_

**~End of chapter.**

**Well that's chapter seven! I decided to end this one with tons of fluff and comfort. Chapter eight will be here soon. Bye!**

**Yumi**


	8. Great, More Complications

**Here's chapter eight.**

**~The next morning; Yumi's P.O.V.**

I snuggled closer to my warm pillow. Nothing could be better than this moment. Unfortunately, the only time you can sleep forever is when you're dead, I had to wake up. My eyes fluttered open as I struggled to remember what had happened last night. That's when I noticed that I was being held…by Ulrich…I quickly shot away from him, which apparently woke him too. He stared at me for a moment, just as confused as I was.

I felt a warm blush run across my face and turned away from him, "S-Sorry…Let's, um, forget that this ever h-happened…"

"Ahem I, um, c-couldn't agree with you m-more…" He replied, equally embarrassed.

I helped him get his top back on and we packed up.

"Do you think you can walk?" I asked.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt that much, let's get moving those bandits could try to strike again if we stick around." Ulrich said, retying his katana to his waist.

With that, we set out.

**~Bandit cave; regular P.O.V.**

"_You lost to them! How could you let them escape!_" Sazanami yelled at the leader.

"It wasn't our fault alright! The boy made it look like he was going to murder the chick. In that kind of hostage situation, there's nothing else to do, but give in." The burly man argued.

"Do you know what's going to happen to us, if we don't get that Kami-forsaken girl? We'll get killed! Now do you know where they went?" Hitachi screamed.

The leader sighed, "It started storming after they left, so the best bet would be, that they're still in the pass. You'd better hurry if you want to catch them before they get out of the mountain."

The bounty men mounted their horses and set off. Meanwhile, Ulrich and Yumi were almost to the end of the pass.

"Ulrich, I'm worried. What if those two got into the pass to see if the bandits got us? You know they won't rest until we're found." Yumi said.

"I know that's our biggest problem right now. But we can't worry about that, the only thing we need to focus on is getting out of this mountain alive. I understand, and you have a right to be worried, but you have to trust me on this one." Ulrich replied.

Yumi smiled, "I do trust you."

Ulrich blushed a light shade of red and continued watching their surroundings. The blush didn't go unnoticed by Yumi who smirked and continued looking straight ahead.

"_Don't get your hopes up Yumi! It's probably nothing. He's probably just embarrassed that's all." _The girl thought.

"_I hope she didn't notice that." _Ulrich thought.

After a while they finally made it out of the pass. Behind Kikyo Mountain was a vast tree- filled valley in which the Silver River ran into as well. The noon-time position of the sun hit the valley just right, giving everything a lively glow of different colors. Ulrich turned to Yumi.

"Alright we're out of the worst of it, now all we have to do is cross the valley, and then worry about the rest later. Does that sound good?" He asked.

"Sounds alright to me, but even then we still have a long way to go, right?"

"Yeah, but there's one more problem, this valley is known to hold some dangerous animals. That's something we really need to watch out for."

Yumi blinked, "What kind of 'dangerous' animals?"

"It's mostly wolves, but there are tigers too. Wolves won't bother us too much as long as we stay away from their dens. Tigers are different, I'm not sure what they might do, but it's that kind of unpredictability that's going to make this harder than it needs to be." Her friend answered.

**~End of chapter.**

**Sorry about the length! I hate shortening my chapters really I do, but like I said, it can't be avoided. Chapter nine will be here soon!**

**Yumi**


	9. Ulrich's Diary

**Chapter nine, sorry for the wait.**

**~Later that evening; Ulrich's P.O.V.**

_Dear diary,_

_Ok so we're in the Kanji Valley and we just got out of Kikyo Pass this morning. I'm glad that's over! When we fought the bandits I was beginning to think they'd win because they took me down. I guess I shouldn't have let my guard down to watch over Yumi, who's currently asleep next to me._

_Ah Yumi, she looks so peaceful and innocent when she sleeps…wow I have it bad. You know what? I-I'm actually starting to enjoy the feelings I get around her. It's almost like she has me under some sort of hypnotic spell. Well, I guess that's what love does to you. You know if you really think about it. I'm happy to have her with me. She's just an amazing person. Even without any parents, she's able to live so free._

_I'm still scared though. But not because we're being hunted and I'm marked for death…it's because of Kadic. I…I don't know if I'm ready to go back home. I haven't seen my home kingdom in nine years. I wonder how it's changed…I wonder…if my family is still there. If they are, then I don't have a lot to look forward to. I mean honestly, there was nothing left for me there anyway._

_Before I was deserted, I never had any friends, even at the academy. I had admirers, but never friends. That's one thing I never really cared for, admirers. Stuck-up, mean girls with daddy complexes were, let's just say, my worst nightmare. And friends…I was never allowed to have any. My dad wanted me to be just like him all the time. He said that having friends would keep me from success in life. I'll put it this way; we had different points of view on what was truly important in life._

_My dad…and my mom…they hated me. They hated me so much. It's why they left me. And it's why I'm afraid of going back to Kadic. Because if they're still around, and they recognize me, who knows what they might do or what they might say. And Yumi…what if she got involved? Ugh, I don't think I'd be able to take it if she got in the middle of my family problems! She's too sweet to have to deal with my personal issues. But that doesn't mean that she can be entirely out of the line-of-fire._

_Either way, no matter what happens; I made a promise that I would get Yumi to Kadic so she can start a new life. The life she deserves. I hope we get there soon…because the closer I get to Kadic…the closer I get to finally confronting my parents._

_-Ulrich_

I closed the book and put it in my bag. I glanced over at Yumi, who stirred and fluttered her onyx eyes open to gaze at me questioningly.

"Is something wrong?" She asked her voice low and dry.

"It's nothing…at least nothing you should concern yourself with. Just go back to sleep." I replied, lying down while facing away from her.

Within a few minutes I could hear her steady breathing, indicating she was asleep. After a while I went to sleep as well, dreaming of somehow being a part of Yumi's new life.

**~End of chapter.**

**I know you all hate me for shortening my chapters, but I really try not to! I have a ton of ideas for this story and some have to be presented in their own chapters instead of one big chapter. I hope that makes sense. Anyway chapter **_**ten **_**will be up soon, I'm on a roll with this story! I don't know why I didn't write this sooner! Review please!**

**Yumi**


	10. Sazanami and Hitachi Arrive

**Chapter ten is up, and I'm really excited for what's going to happen here. Enjoy!**

**~The next morning; Yumi's P.O.V.**

Ulrich and I packed up earlier than usual to keep ahead. It's a good strategy, but I'm not a morning person, so to speak. We continued walking and talking occasionally. Even though we were having an easy conversation, I could see that he was on edge about something.

"Ulrich, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I get the feeling we're being watched, but it could be nothing. Still keep you guard up, I think something's going to happen here." He answered.

I nodded and keep my eyes open for signs of danger. I don't know how he can just sense things like that; it's really cool; maybe I could learn to do that too. Suddenly, a barrage of arrows came flying down towards us from the trees. Ulrich pushed me out of the way. We looked up to see Hitachi, holding up his crossbow, and pointing it directly at Ulrich. Before he shot, Sazanami jumped out and swung his guillotine sword at us.

Ulrich brought his katana up to block it while I went to fight Hitachi. He jumped down from the tree and fired an arrow at me. I dodged it and threw my fans at him, slicing his firing arm and left leg. I caught the fans and continued to attack him. Meanwhile, Ulrich was in a dead lock sword fight with Sazanami.

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I blocked the gargantuan sword as best as I could. I was still recovering from the injuries I received in our last battle, so it was proving to be difficult, but I managed. Finally, Sazanami stepped back panting heavily.

"Why can't you just leave us alone?" I asked, breathing hard.

"Heh can't do that kid. We're under direct orders to kill you, and take the girl. If we don't get the job done: King XANA will have our heads." The man replied.

He swung his blade but I dodged it, "Triplicate!"

My clones and I tag-teamed him while Yumi did her best to fight off Hitachi.

**~Yumi's P.O.V.**

"Why does Prince William want to marry me anyway?" I asked.

"Your parents refused the marriage when you were young, and they were executed, but now you're of age…and they're not here to break the deal." Hitachi answered, his strength draining.

"_No…I can't break the marriage by myself…" _I thought.

I looked up at Hitachi. His arm and leg were gushing out blood, and he was covered in bruises. He could go any second, and it would only take one more hit. I pulled out my fans and aimed very carefully…when I threw them they sliced through his temples and killed him.

"_Hitachi!_" Sazanami yelled, "_You'll pay for that you brat! You killed my brother!_"

He came after me with his over-sized sword but Ulrich jumped in front of me and knocked the sword out of his hands…then stabbed the man in the chest…killing him as well.

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I pulled the katana out of my victim, and cleaned it in the grass. What have I done? Why did I do that? Karai, if you're there, answer me!

"_Ulrich, I'm always here to watch and guide you." _My master replied in my vision.

"_Sensei…I have dishonored you and the name of the samurai. I killed this man with your blade of honor that you left in my care. I'm so sorry…please I beg your forgiveness. I never meant to hurt anyone, even my enemies. You taught me to __**never **__kill with the sword; for killing is dishonorable and rips the soul apart. Can you find it, in your never ending kindness, to forgive my sin?" _I pleaded.

My master said nothing, but gazed over me and my, still bloodied, katana.

Finally he spoke, _"You're correct, I did teach you to never kill and that it is dishonorable, but you have an exception." _

"_What exception is that?"_

"_You were protecting Yumi, Sazanami was going to kill her, and once again it was an act of love. I told you, when you love someone you'll do crazy things to keep them out of harm's way. This is just one of the crazy things you might do. My student, you have not dishonored me or the name of samurai or yourself. You are the most honorable young man I've ever had the pleasure of calling my apprentice. Don't let this be a burden; you will regret it if you do." _

With that, my vision ended, and I could hear Yumi's voice.

"Ulrich, what's the matter?" She asked.

I thought it over for a minute. Perhaps I could share my past with her like she did with me. It'll help us get closer and bond easier.

"I'll tell you tonight after we find a place to camp. For now, let's go, they're not a threat to us anymore."

**~Later that night; Yumi's P.O.V.**

It was another clear night full of stars with a crescent moon shining over the valley. I can't wait to hear what Ulrich has to tell me; hopefully it's something that'll help us get even closer. After we ate, we sat down on the ground against a log. The clearing we were in had a clear view of the sky. I turned to Ulrich.

"So what did you want to tell me?" I asked.

He avoided my eyes, "Well, you know how you told me your story? I'm going to tell you mine, it's only fair."

"I'd love to hear it."

**~End of chapter.**

**Ok for those of you that actually like cliffhangers, you're welcome, if not you had to see it coming! Anyway, chapter eleven will be up soon.**

**Yumi**

**P.S: Ulrich is about to confide something to Yumi that is deep and emotional in his past…you're going to have to read very carefully to get the idea of what happened. Yumi already knows about Ulrich's parents, but she doesn't entirely know about Karai… **


	11. Ulrich's Past

**Chapter eleven is here. This is it peoples, the moment you've all been waiting for! Ulrich is going to reveal his past for the very first time! As stated in the last chapter, you have to bear with me or you won't understand. I'm going to shut up now!**

**~The campsite; Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I kept my eyes off of Yumi as I tried to figure out where to start. She seemed eager to hear my story. She won't feel that way at all afterwards. Finally, I found a good place to begin.

"Alright, you want to know my story? I'll tell you." I said.

_When I was eight, I lived in the city of Kadic with my parents. It was my home I was born there and I grew up there. Life was, um, hard for me though. My dad served under our king, and we were fortunate enough to have a lot of money, but that wasn't the problem. The problem, apparently, was me._

_Dad always wanted me to be just like him, in every way. He wanted me to have straight A's in school, and he didn't want me to have any friends. He believed that friends keep you from success in life. Let's put it this way, we had different view points on what was truly important in life. My mom, she always took his side. She never defended me or agreed with me at all. To put it simply, I was an only child and my parents would've favored my sibling if I had one._

_One day, dad snapped and he…hit me… I don't know why, but he did. It wasn't long after that when they decided to get rid of me. They took me out into the forest for a walk. I didn't realize how far we were going; I'd never been outside the city before. I turned my back for a few minutes and when I looked back, my parents were gone. I assumed they'd be back, so I sat by an oak tree and waited. I sat there for a whole week wondering if they'd lost me._

_Then realization hit me. They weren't coming back. I knew they didn't like me, but I couldn't help being upset. I was stuck out in the forest, far from home, and I was alone. I was just a kid, and I didn't know how to survive. Suddenly, a pack of wolves jumped out of the bushes and tried to attack me. I started running down the path we had been going. I ran as fast as I could, and then I bumped into a man._

_He saw my predicament and had a solution. He reached into his bag and pulled out a slab of deer meat and threw it to the wolves. They ate that instead and we went on ahead. _

_The man's name was Karai. He had brown hair and blue eyes, and he was a samurai. I could tell he carried the title with honor and pride. At his side he carried a katana to accent his power. I explained my situation to him and he took pity on me. He said I could travel with him and he would teach me the ways of the samurai. As we trained, he treated me like a son. You see his wife, Minerva, had died in a fire and they never had any children. But he always wanted a son to carry on the name of samurai. That's why he treated me that way; I was the son he wanted. We were close, so close that I was beginning to think he was really my father._

_We went everywhere. As we travelled, we never stayed in the same place twice. We went from city to city, village to village. We stayed together for eight more years. By the time I turned sixteen, he had taught almost everything he knew. He taught me how to properly handle a sword, I remember his words from the first time he let me use his katana. He always said 'think of the blade as an extension of your arm and use it to defend against your enemy, but never kill them.' Every word he spoke stuck to my mind. We were as close as master and student could be._

_Then, a year ago, he told me that since my coming of age was this year, it was time for me to become a true samurai. He said the only way to be a true samurai is make your own sword. We were on our way to a small blacksmith village, where I would learn to make my sword before my seventeenth birthday. Then on my birthday, I would make my own sword out any metal of my choice and I couldn't have any help at all. I was excited, because Karai had promised me something important. He told me that after I made my sword, we were going to find the nearest kingdom, and live there. He was going legally adopt me as his son and we'd start a new life._

_Unfortunately, not all good things last forever. On our way to this village, it was the middle of winter, and Karai fell ill. We took shelter inside a fallen tree. The weather wasn't helping our dilemma. It was probably sub-zero temperatures and we were low on all our supplies…including medicine. I tried my best to help him, but the disease turned serious. We couldn't risk going any further, we were still at least a week from the village. I didn't know what to do. And Karai he was weak…very weak. After we had been inside that tree for two days…it happened…he succumbed. But before he did, the last thing he said to me was this:_

"_I can't fight this battle any longer, Ulrich. This disease is going to take my life. I'm sorry that I can't be by your side anymore. I'm sorry that there was so much I still didn't teach you. I want you to go on with life. My last wish is that you carry my blade in my honor, and that you never forget the things I've taught you. You will grieve over me, but know this; even those who are gone are with us as we go on. I'll watch over you as you grow older and experience new things. Please, never forget me, or you will forget yourself. Good bye…"_

_Those were his last words, his last breath, and he died, right before my eyes. I was so hurt, so broken. I felt like a part of my soul had just disappeared. I…didn't know what to think or what to do. So I gave him a proper burial and honored his last request by carrying his blade instead of making my own. Even without doing so, I had still earned the title of samurai. After that, I travelled alone. I never got close to anyone; I'd help those less fortunate, but never befriend them._

I finished my story and held back the tears. I wasn't going to cry, not in front of Yumi. Suddenly, I felt her warm embrace consume me. Her hug was not only soothing but almost magical.

"Why are you holding back your emotions? The best thing to do when you're upset is to let it out. Crying isn't shameful, that's why it makes you feel better." Her sweet angelic voice tamed my aching heart.

I didn't protest, and for the first time in a long time, I let the tears fall. Yumi kept the gentle hug and said nothing else as she witnessed my emotions flow.

**~Yumi's P.O.V.**

I held Ulrich as he grieved over his sensei. When he was telling his story, I stayed silent, I never interrupted even once. When he talked about Karai, I was on the verge of tears myself. Of all people, I know how it feels to lose the people you love. I guess Ulrich has been through worse than I have. His parents didn't even want him! I've obviously never met Karai, but I can see why Ulrich would be so close to him. He was a father figure. Even I know; there's no stronger bond than the one formed between Master and Student.

Now that I know Ulrich's story, I know him a lot better. He's had so much pain that's why he's so moody all the time. I never would've guessed anything like what he just told me. I mean he told me about his parents deserting him, but I didn't think it went this deep. Hopefully, I can make sure Ulrich sees that he has to move on no matter what.

**~End of chapter.**

**Two chapters in one day! Yes! I hope you all like the story I made for Ulrich, it took one night of planning to come up with all that. Chapter twelve will be here soon!**

**Yumi**


	12. Prince William Finds Out

**Chapter twelve is here! I hope you enjoy it.**

**~Another week has passed, Yumi's P.O.V.**

_Dear diary,_

_It's been a week since we arrived in Kanji Valley, and since Ulrich explained his story. I feel so horrible worrying about my problems, when he has so many. He hasn't talked a lot since that night. I'm worried about him. I hope he'll be ok. When he cried…I almost didn't know what to do. So I did what he did for me, I comforted him. Now he sees that it's ok to cry because life's full of disappointments and bad times. I don't have a whole lot to write about right now, so I have to cut this short, sorry._

_-Yumi_

I put my diary away, and continued following Ulrich. He was still being quiet. I still feel bad for him too. He's the kind of guy who shouldn't have to go through these things and have so much pain in his lifetime. Life is full of disappointments and bad times should you really sacrifice the good times because of them? I guess that's how he started thinking after everything that happened to him.

"Yumi." He said.

"Yeah what is it?" I replied.

He smiled, "You were right. I do feel better, and thank you."

I returned the smile, "You're welcome, but you have to promise me something. From now on, whenever you feel upset about anything just talk to me ok? I'll try to help if I can. Will you do that for me?"

"I promise I will."

**~Meanwhile, back in Lyoko, regular P.O.V.**

A messenger walked hurriedly towards the prince's bed chamber. The man had important news that couldn't be let alone for another second. The prince's personal guards allowed him to enter, and he found Prince William on his balcony watching the city below the palace.

"Prince William, sir, I have a report." The man said, catching the other boy's attention.

"And what have you found?" The royal heir asked.

The messenger gulped and feared the answer he might get and said, "Our scouts went into Kanji Valley to find Sazanami and Hitachi dead…Sazanami was killed by a katana. That samurai and Yumi must have taken them down together. I'm sorry, sir."

William's rage got the better of him this time, "_Those worthless dull-brained idiots! How could this happen?_"

"Sire, please calm down! At least now we know where they're going."

The prince was silenced, "You know where they're going? How did you find that out?"

"They had a run-in with the bandits that live in Kikyo Pass. Apparently, they over heard some conversation from the two. They're heading south for the kingdom of Kadic. From here, it's at least a three month trip on foot, with no loophole around it. What is your plan sir?" The older man asked.

William didn't answer for several moments, while thinking through the situation. Finally, He came up with a solution.

"Get my father; I need to have a word with him about this."

The man bowed and the two headed for the throne room, where King XANA was currently in a meeting. When William entered the room, his father dismissed his council and allowed him to stay.

"William what do you need?" The king asked.

The messenger explained the news to the king.

"What a pity, I was sure they would've succeeded, now why are you here son?"

"Father, I ask for your permission to go out and find Yumi myself." His son replied.

XANA was surprised at the sudden request and didn't reply for a few moments. Then he spoke.

"Hm, this is an odd request. I'm not sure if I can allow it. You are my only son, therefore my only heir. If you are lost on the journey then when I die the city would go into chaos. Would you want that to happen? I thought you wanted to be king? Surely there are other women here that are far better than Yumi."

"I do wish to be king father, but to be king I need a bride so that I may have an heir to my throne. Even if you say there are other women here in the city, I can't take another. Nine years ago you told me I was going to be married to this girl. When her parents committed treason, and refused, they were killed, but the deal was never broken. Yumi is of marrying age now and her parents aren't here to break that deal. She can't do it on her own and you forced the decision. I _will_ marry Yumi, she _will_ be mine." Prince William answered.

King XANA took in the information, "Very well, you may go, but you must be careful. Provide all necessary supplies he'll need for the trip."

"Yes your highness."

William had his servants gather up everything he'd need on the trip. He mounted his black stallion and set out of Lyoko for the very first time.

**~End of chapter.**

**Well, that's chapter twelve, I hope you enjoyed it! Chapter thirteen will be here soon!**

**Yumi **


	13. Uh oh, This Can't Be Good!

**Here's chapter thirteen, I'm so happy I thought of this story!**

**~Later that evening; Ulrich's P.O.V.**

We had just set up camp for the night and the sun was almost out of the sky. It's a good thing it's summer. I made sure we weren't near any wolf dens. That's the last thing we need. We haven't seen any dangerous animals, so I this might not be such a big problem after all. I was currently sitting in my usual meditation position watching for danger.

I heard the faint howling of wolves prowling around far from our camp. Wolves…I'm not worried too much about them. We have nothing they want. Tigers, on the other hand, are a whole different story. I've never faced down a tiger before but I'm sure it's not an easy task. They're huge, have deadly claws, and sharp teeth. It's not an animal you want to provoke. As I watched and listened I could hear another sound…one that nearly made my heart stop…and it was coming from inside the tent. I went inside to see Yumi sitting up crying.

I sat down next to her, "Yumi, what's wrong?"

"Sorry, I had a nightmare that's all. I'm ok really; it just scared me." She replied drying her eyes.

She seemed to be having trouble breathing and that's worrying me. Then the worst thing happened, Yumi started coughing, and really badly. Oh no, not her too…I rubbed her lower back to relax her and she fell into my lap. I put my hand to her forehead only to jerk it away immediately.

"_Darn it! She has a really high fever. She's in no condition to travel like this. I do have medicine that might help, but there's no guarantee. I'll have her take it then let her rest for the night." _I thought.

I gently set her down and started searching through my bag. After a few moments I found the bottle.

"Here, this might help." I gave her the liquid and she drank it without question.

Yumi lay back down and I wrapped the blanket around her. I felt her forehead again; it takes time for the medicine to bring it down but one night's rest will be the judge of that.

"Yumi, when did you start feeling sick?" I asked, knowing she was still somewhat awake.

She coughed heavily before replying, "A few hours ago just before we made camp. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I figured it would just pass quickly. I guess I was wrong."

"It's ok, I'm not mad. You get as much rest as you need. If you're not feeling better tomorrow, we'll stay here another night. Let me know if you need an extra blanket. Good night Yumi."

She smiled her thanks, "Good night Ulrich."

I went outside to watch one more time before going to sleep. I hope Yumi will be ok. She had me so scared and worried. I hate to see her like this. This brings back horrible memories; things I want to forget but can't. Suddenly I heard a strange sound. It was coming from the main road. I went to investigate, and I couldn't believe what I saw.

A black stallion had just been tied to a tree by a man about my age. I took a good look at him and realized something…this was Prince William. I'd never met him, but he looked almost exactly like his father even in the dark light. He must've heard about Sazanami and Hitachi then decided to go after us himself; as if our problems weren't big enough already. I went back to camp, lest I risk getting caught. Well, isn't this going to be fun? Now we have to worry about the prince himself along with the other dangers on the road to Kadic. How wonderful?

**~End of chapter.**

**Ah another short chapter, how I hate it so. I have to do it though; I have nothing else for this chapter! Anyway chapter fourteen will be up as soon as possible. Bye!**

**Yumi**


	14. Two More Weeks

**Chapter fourteen is here! As you may have noticed, I'm lazy and don't like to go into the events of every single day in my stories. So excuse the slight time jump.**

**~Two months later, Yumi's P.O.V.**

_Dear diary,_

_It's official we're only two weeks away from Kadic! We've managed to stay ahead of William so far, but he's probably catching up fast. If there's one thing I know, it's that he doesn't give up. He'll just keep trying until he captures me. I'll never understand why royalty is so hung up on arranged marriages. Well either way, he's definitely not the man for me…Ulrich is… _

_Ulrich and I are closer to a bright new future. I just hope we can stay together a little longer after we get to Kadic. Yeah, I still haven't told him yet. Hm, so this is what it feels like to be in love. I like it, a lot, but knowing how he feels about me is still a mystery. We get along well, have common interests, and have strange pasts. I learned pretty much everything I need to know about fighting from him. All in all, things are going quite well. I might want to stop here so we can move quickly._

_-Yumi_

I put my diary away and we continued on.

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

We're almost there; Kadic is merely two weeks away. Yumi and I have made it this far, but we're not done yet. The last obstacle we have to cross is coming into view now…Tamoe Gorge. It's a massive gorge that's so deep the sunlight doesn't reach the bottom. It's almost like a big, black crevice in the Earth. The only way across is Saigon Bridge. This gorge is also the thing that keeps Kadic sort of isolated from the main land, because it stretches all the way to the ocean on both sides.

Once we got to the gorge, we stopped, I turned to Yumi, "Well, this is the only thing keeping you from your freedom. After this the two weeks we have left will go by fast. William is really far behind us by now with the help of my super sprint. How do you feel?"

"It's a combination of excited and terrified at the same time, mainly because of how deep this thing is." She answered, fear evident in her voice.

"Relax; I'm right here with you. Just don't look down and keep moving forward."

She smiled and we started to cross the bridge. I had to make sure to follow my own advice otherwise I'd pass out. Yeah, I'm afraid of heights too, so what? I have my reasons. After a while we had crossed the bridge. I looked at the sky; the sun was starting to set.

"Yumi, we'll move on a little longer then set up camp for the night."

"Good enough for me."

We found a good place to camp and went through our usual routine. Once again I was watching for danger while Yumi slept. It's official; she's my pride and joy. Yumi means everything to me. I wouldn't trade this beautiful, charming girl for the world.

**~End of chapter.**

**Sorry about the wait! And sorry but this is all I have for now! Chapter fifteen will be up soon and we're getting closer to the end. Bye!**

**Yumi**


	15. Are You Staying?

**Chapter fifteen is here! This is officially my longest story yet!**

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

"_You've made it so far, I'm proud of you my student." _Karai said.

"_Thank you master, but I couldn't have done it without your guidance." _I replied.

He smiled, _"William isn't as far behind as you might think. He's rode through a few nights without stopping just to get closer to you. He's merciless and I'm afraid he's not going to give up without a fight."_

I became worried again, _"What if he follows us all the way to Kadic? We only have a few more days, and I still don't know when I should tell Yumi the truth. What do I do, master?"_

"_My advice is that you keep moving. Once you get to Kadic you'll be safe, but there's no guarantee. You're right though he might have the guts to follow you, but you can protect Yumi and she can protect herself. You and I both know Yumi deserves to live a life away from William, but he's not going to let that happen so easily. Also, something else is on your mind I see."_

I sighed, _"Master, you know that I'm from Kadic, and you know why I was forced to leave. When we get there…I want to face my parents…as a man. I want to see just how deep their hatred of me goes. Do you think I should?"_

He didn't reply for several minutes before saying, _"If you must, you must, but know this; they're still your parents no matter what they think of you or what you think of them. And because of that, to kill them would be the worst mistake you'd ever make, regardless of the circumstances at the time; a true samurai never patricides."_

I nodded and bowed, _"Yes master, thank you. I'll talk to you again later."_

With that, my vision ended. Yumi came back to camp, her hair wet, obviously from bathing in the hot spring nearby.

She smiled and continued to dry her hair, "Have you been meditating the whole time?"

I returned the smile, "Do you have a problem with it? It's relaxing, and good for the mind and body."

"I knew that, it's just you do it a lot more often than usual nowadays. It's kind of strange, you know."

I rolled my eyes and ignored her. She merely laughed and went back to what she was doing. I smiled and looked at our map. Before I knew it, Yumi was standing next to me leaning over my shoulder to see it too. She seemed comfortable with this proximity, but in my case it made my heart flutter nervously, as I glanced slightly to my left to see her pretty face so close to mine. There it is, that urge again. I've been having a ton of urges to kiss her, hence the reason I'm so nervous right now. But instead of looking at the map, she kissed my cheek again.

"We're almost there; I'll go ahead and give you that as my thank you right now. You're the greatest friend I ever had. And I need to know something important." Yumi said, sitting down next to me.

"What do you need to know?" I asked, fighting down a deep embarrassing blush.

She seemed equally embarrassed when she asked, "Ulrich, I know you told me you're from Kadic so I was wondering…when we get there…are you going to stay? I-I mean it's ok if y-you don't, but I wanted to know because…"

I cut her off, "You like having me around?"

This earned me a playful punch in the arm, "We'll leave that at 50:50 for now. What I meant was that you've been so unselfishly kind to me over the past few months, so I wanted to know if, after so many years away from home, you'd be willing to go back and stay."

I saw the hopeful look in her beautiful eyes, and could see she just wanted to be with her friend. Personally, I wish we were more than friends, but she doesn't know that. I've wanted to go back so that I can face my parents but…I hadn't thought about staying. Yumi's right, it is my home, but I've been travelling for so long I've gotten used to it.

"Yumi…we'll be there in at least two more days if we keep going. I've wanted to go back, but not just for you. I want to face my parents and find out the real reason why they hated me so much. Once I find out, I'm not sure what I'll do…so to be honest, I can't answer your question just yet, sorry." I answered.

She smiled, "I think it's a good thing that you want to face them; I knew there was more to your story than just the reasons you knew. And you don't have to apologize I understand. Well, it's late I should get some sleep, good night."

**~End of chapter.**

**Well, that's it for this chapter. Chapter sixteen will be here soon. I'm so excited for this next one!**

**Yumi**


	16. Father VS Son

**This is it! Chapter sixteen; this is where a freaking truck load of questions will be answered.**

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

Yumi and I made it. We were finally here. We were standing at the gates to Kadic. After so long, I'm finally home. It's exactly as it was before; nothing had changed. I turned to her.

"This is it Yumi, welcome to your new home." I said.

Instead of responding, she enveloped me in a tight hug, I had no choice but to hug her as well. I could feel her warmth against me; it felt amazing. I don't think I've ever been so happy.

She released me, "Well, shall we?"

"Yeah, come on I'll show you around." I answered, already missing her embrace.

We walked into the gates, and Yumi asked, "Are you sure you're ok with being here?"

"I'm sure; this is where I was born and now after nine years of being away, I'm coming back as someone else."

We went through the entire city, which was far larger than Lyoko, as I showed her where everything was. We went from the gates of the city, to King Delmas' palace, and everywhere in between. When we started walking away from the palace, I saw what I was looking for…my house next to the king's palace right where it always was. Yumi noticed the way I looked at it.

"That was your home wasn't it?" She asked, in concern.

I nodded, "First, let's get you your own home and then I'll worry about them."

With that, we walked off.

**~William's P.O.V.**

I had stopped to rest my horse for a minute, while surveying the area. Yeah, someone had been through here. There was a fire pit, with leftover wood in it, and it was still warm. It could've been them; I know it. Ulrich…I don't care who you think you are…nobody steals from me, I will get you. You will die. I will kill you. And if you think you can get away from me, with my Yumi, so easily…you've got another thing coming. After a while, I untied my stallion, and rode on.

**~Yumi's P.O.V.**

I can't believe we're finally here! This place is so much more beautiful and better than Lyoko. I made a great choice. Ulrich just helped me get to know my way around the city, so now I know where everything is for the most part. We just got a new apartment for me and I think, if he wants to, Ulrich might stay with me. First he has to confront his parents though.

"Well, I'm going to resolve this problem. When I'm finished I'll come back, ok?" He said, turning to leave.

"Ulrich...do you want me to come with you? You know to make you feel better?" I asked.

He didn't answer for several moments before replying, "No, I don't want you to get mixed up in my problems."

"Alright then, good luck."

He smiled at me and left to face his past.

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

This is it, time to face the problem I've been running away from for so long. As I approached my old house, I saw the man I dreaded the most...my father. He was talking with one of the king's personal messengers. Now is the right time, the sun was starting to set in the sky almost as if setting the mood for the argument that was bound to happen. The messenger left and my father started to go inside, but stopped when he noticed me already standing with him, because of my super sprint.

He looked at me in a confused way and then said, "Is there something I can help you with?"

I took deep even breaths to soothe my flaring anger at the mere sight of him and replied, "Yes, may I speak with you inside for a minute?"

He eyed me suspiciously but agreed anyway. When we got inside, I saw my mom walk up to us.

"Who's this?" She asked.

"I don't really know, he just appeared and wanted to speak with me about something. Who are you, boy?" Father asked, still not seeing the resemblance between us.

I took a deep breath, _"Well, here goes everything."_

"After nine years, you don't even recognize your own son."

Their shocked faces were enough to tell that they had hoped for me to die in the forest that day. My father stepped a little closer.

"Ulrich...is that really you? I thought you were dead." He said.

"Yes, and you only hoped I would die. I survived because of a traveler who took me in as his own. Now, I'm back to set things straight. I want to know the truth, and you're both going to tell me, all of it..." I said, deathly serious.

Mom stepped in, "And if we say no, and call the nearby imperial guard to arrest you?"

"Wouldn't be the smartest idea, mom." I started to unsheathe my hidden blade; neither of them had noticed I was carrying it.

Their faces were stunned mostly because I had the katana in the first place. After a quick, nervous glance at each other, dad spoke.

"Alright, we'll tell you whatever you want! Just don't kill us."

I sheathed my weapon and spoke, "First, I want to know what was it? What made me not worthy to be your son? Did I do something wrong? Were you hoping for a daughter instead of me? You never gave me a reason. Now you will."

"We weren't exactly ready to be parents at the time. When your mother told me she was pregnant, we had half a mind to have you killed. We were young, and just when we had started to accept the fact, you came like any other child. I was always told that a son should be a mirror image of his father; that's why I treated you the way I did. I had hoped you'd be more like me, smart and successful."

I glared at him, how dare he talk like that, "Well, then you obviously need to know something important! I'm _not_ you! I never was before, and won't be now. You have to get it through your head that everyone is their own person. Also, you were probably the worst father a person could have."

That made him even angrier, "_How dare you talk to me like that! _We left you in the woods to die, and then you come back after nine years to back talk me, and threaten to kill us!"

"Why did you do that anyway?" I retaliated.

Mom spoke, "You weren't meeting our expectations."

"You know, when you left me there to rot and die...I couldn't have been any angrier with you! I was filled with rage and utter hatred for the two of you! And yet...I was still heartbroken at the thought that my own parents didn't want me anymore. I was hurt so badly, and still so full of anger. _That's all I needed to know!_ You hated me from the start; I see how it is now, clear as day. You never wanted me, fine, I never wanted you either," I turned to leave then stopped, "By the way, you do need friends to live, or you'll be torn apart."

I left to see that the moon had risen. As I was walking back to Yumi's apartment, I was full of anger. I couldn't help it. My parents had no real, true, honest, reason for hating me but did anyway. Ugh, I'm so mad! I came back to see that Yumi was still awake and standing on her balcony. I sat down on her bed, breathing hard, trying to keep my temper down. She came over to me.

"Ulrich, what happened?" She asked.

"They had no reason! No reason whatsoever for hating and they did anyway! Ugh! I had half a mind to kill both of them right then and there and be done with this crap! But I didn't! You know what? I should never have come back here! I should've known they didn't have a real reason! It's your fault I came back at all!" I replied, letting my anger get the better of me.

Yumi looked at me with wide eyes, "You want to blame this on me? I didn't ask for you to save my life! I didn't ask for you to come back for me! You did anyway! You were the one who said we could come here so I could live of freedom. You also said I wasn't going to get involved with your family concerns. So don't try to blame this on me just because I had to get away from Prince William."

That was it; I had completely lost control, "_Yeah, about that, I bet you just made that stuff up about him, just so you could get away from him! You're right though, I shouldn't have come back for you! I had the choice to let them take you the first chance they got but I didn't take it! And now I'm paying the price! If I had never met you, this never would've happened!_"

That was the end of it, I grabbed my stuff, and left. I was still fuming with rage when realization hit me...I just went off...on Yumi...the love of my life... Oh no, now what am I going to do? I was about halfway up the street when I looked back at her apartment building.

"_Doesn't matter now...she probably hates me...she deserves someone else..." _I thought as I walked out of the Kadic gates and back on the road...

**~End of chapter.**

**I hate cliffhangers, but that had to be done. That's chapter sixteen! Which means...chapter seventeen will be here soon! Yay!**

**Yumi**


	17. The Finale

**Finally chapter seventeen is here everyone! I'm sorry for the delay! My stupid ignorant mother had to take my computer in to get it cleaned out, and it took longer than a day. It was an empty promise! Anyway, the moment you've all been waiting for...the finale...**

**~Yumi's P.O.V.**

I sat in my room, drying my eyes. Ulrich was gone...forever. I can't say I was really mad at him though. He had his reasons. His parent's must've been so hard with him that he finally let all that repressed anger out the wrong way, and pointed it to me by accident. I guess I was wrong after all; he doesn't feel the same way. I should've seen it coming. I've caused him so many burdens and put him in danger multiple times. We went through a lot together only to be separated in the end.

Suddenly, as I was silently letting the tears fall again, something made a noise outside. My senses went into alarm as I looked around for the cause. Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed my mouth and pulled me to the ground. Before I knew it, my hands were bond by heavy ropes. I turned and saw my captor...William...

"Yumi, how nice to see you again after so long. You've been pretty evasive for a while now. But not anymore, you're coming back to Lyoko with me, or die." His voice tinged with malice.

With that he knocked me out...

**~Ulrich's P.O.V.**

I continued walking down the narrow path. That was it, my heart was officially destroyed. I was broken beyond repair. I had just left Yumi and now she probably never wants to speak to me again.

"_Master, are you there? I need your wisdom. I need your help."_

"_Ulrich, what have you done?"_

"_I'm sorry sensei, I-I just got so mad I couldn't control myself! I didn't mean to do that to Yumi. What do I do?"_

"_Yumi is in danger, my student. Look out on the other path and you'll see what I mean." _Karai said.

I did as told and saw William on his stallion...with Yumi who unconscious. No, I'm letting him take her! I don't care if she hates me for all eternity now; I will save my Yumi. I promised myself to protect her with my life, now is my chance to keep that promise. I silently followed them, hoping to figure out which way they were going. After a while, I saw what he was going to do...and so did Yumi.

William stopped the horse and tied it to a tree. He then picked Yumi up and untied her hands. She was conscious again, we could both see what he was going to do...he was going to kill her! They had stopped near Tamoe Gorge; I'm not letting this happen!

"What are you doing? I thought you were taking me back to Lyoko!" Yumi screamed, as he pushed her closer to the edge.

"You've been such a problem lately; I've decided that killing you is a better option. Where's your friend when you need him?"

Then...he pushed her over the edge...I jumped out and was ready to slice him in half, but he brought up his own katana and blocked me. As I was fighting, I could see that Yumi was clinging to the side of the gorge for dear life. I kept fighting William, hoping she could hang on long enough for me to finish this, and get her to safety.

"So, Ulrich you're the one who made me come all the way out here, huh? What a waste of my time." He said.

"You're trying to kill Yumi, why?"

He smirked, "You don't get it do you? She refused to an arranged marriage that wasn't cancelled when her parents were killed. Therefore, I can't actually marry her, I have to kill her. She can't cancel it on her own. My father said so."

This only made me angrier, so I brought up my blade and stabbed him, just like I did to Sazanami. His corpse fell to the ground, never to harm anyone else again. I dropped my bloodied sword and went to help Yumi. Just then she started to slip and let go...but I caught her just in time. She clenched my wrist tightly and looked up at me.

"It's ok, I got you." I said.

Her voice shook with fear and her breathing was hard as she stared at me in confusion, "You came back...for me?"

"Heh, of course I did. Yumi, I didn't mean any of the things I said. I couldn't control my anger, my frustration. I let it out the wrong way and I'm so sorry. You're the best thing that ever happened in my life." I pulled her up and into my arms.

She hugged me tightly, silently thanking me, "Ulrich, I can't believe you came back."

I couldn't hold it in any longer, "Why wouldn't I come back for someone I love?"

Yumi gasped and pulled away to look me in the eyes, to answer her shocked expression, I continued, "I love you Yumi, and I swear I'll never let you go again."

Before I knew it, she kissed me full on the mouth; I pulled her closer and kissed her back.

After what felt like an eternity, she pulled away and said, "I love you too Ulrich. I forgive you, and I was never really mad. You had your reasons for being angry and I understand."

We stood and I cleaned my sword. Yumi looked at William's corpse lying on the ground. I went to stand next to her.

"It's alright, he can't hurt you anymore." I said.

She turned to me, "Well, what are you going to do now?"

I smiled, "I going to stay with you. It's like I said before, we're stuck together."

**~End.**

**Yes! The final chapter is done! Again sorry about the stupid delay! I'm never letting my mom take my baby ever again! Well, I have another story to work on, so bye!**

**Yumi**


End file.
